Repeated again and again in communities everywhere. Don’t fire guns into the air, says Lynn Abraham. Probably good advice. We’ll never compete with Kentucky anyway. It’s not as big a problem as public officials like to make it out to be. I agree that it shouldn’t be done, but I have to wonder if this type of PSA (or is that PSH) is designed more to scare people about gun ownership, than it is to combat a legitimate problem. The kind of people who do this type of stuff are about as likely to care what Lynn Abraham thinks as they are to obey the gun laws which already make this activity illegal.

2007 has been a pretty good year. Definitely better than 2006, which sucked. Best part of 2007? Starting a blog to impress Bitter and actually having it work! I hope everyone has a Happy New Years. Tonight will be spent consuming adult beverages with Bitter, ringing in the new year, so that tomorrow I can head back home to Pennsylvania. Hopefully my house is still there.

And just what is malice when it comes to proving libel? Retired Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., who wrote the Sullivan decision, defined it as “knowledge that the [published information] was false” or that it was published “with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.” In other words, public officials no longer could sue for libel simply by proving that something that had been broadcast or printed about them was false. Now they would have to prove that a journalist had knowingly printed false information while making little, if any, attempt to distinguish truth from lies.

The Supreme Court later extended its so-called Sullivan rule to cover “public figures,” meaning individuals who are not in public office but who are still newsworthy because of their prominence in the public eye. Over the years, American courts have ruled that this category includes celebrities in the entertainment field, well-known writers, athletes, and others who often attract attention in the media.

The burden on the plaintiff to prove libel is pretty high, even higher when dealing with a “public figure”, which arguably being a board member of Pennsylvania’s prominent state anti-gun group would make him, if this troll is who it seems to be. That’s not even mentioning we’ve all agreed this evidence is circumstantial, and not something you could take to court.

Also, being an IT professional, I’m well aware of how IP spoofing works, and if someone is spoofing in order to frame Dr. Reily, this is something that should be investigated. I’m a bit skeptical anyone would go through that much trouble. Spoofing an entire blog and numerous comments isn’t an easy feat.

Armed and Safe expresses some concerns about the contractor provisions on HR4900. One thing I’d urge folks to consider is that if security contractors don’t have to compete for very limited transferable Title II firearms, it should take some pressure off prices. I think it’s good to keep transferable Title II firearms in the hands of collectors, rather than having security firms gobbling them up.

After shooting, we retired to the SayUncle compound for dinner, which was quite good! Bitter and I appreciate Uncle and Mrs. Uncle putting us up for the night. Thanks also to Les for picking up the tab for the range time.

Now we’re back in Roanoke for Christmas, Part II with Bitter’s family, and tomorrow we head back home.

On November 8, 2007 a panel discussion was held in Philadelphia by The National Association of Women Judges entitled, “Separation of Powers: What Does It Mean?” Governor Rendell’s wife, a federal judge and member of the panel, made a shocking statement that should have made headlines the following morning. Following her comments lamenting that there are issues that are not going to be resolved legislatively because they are so difficult, issues such as health care, immigration reform, social security and a national gun law, Judge Rendell stated, “Gee, a benevolent dictator would really be good right about now to, to put in health care and to put in some of these policies that we all want, but somehow the gridlock within the legislature makes it impossible.”

It should be noted that Midge Rendell was placed on the federal bench by Bill Clinton in 1994, than elevated to the third circuit court of appeals by President Clinton in 1997. There are exactly the kind of people the Clinton’s like. That’s why you can count me in the anybody but Hillary crowd.

This is not an appropriate sentiment from a federal judge. God help us if the Clintons get another eight years of appointing the likes of Midge Rendell to the federal bench.